Accounting and Financial Planning--Top Priorities for School Business Administrators.

Walters, Donald L.

Success for the business administrator depends largely on ability to identify priorities and to direct time, energy, and know-how accordingly. This study attempted to find out the priorities of the tasks of accounting and financial planning for school business administrators and the precise nature of the school business administrator's responsibility for these functions. A reanalysis was done of data gathered by Moser in a survey of Pennsylvania school business administrators and their subordinates. Responses came from 22 executive directors and 23 business administrators from 27 separate intermediate districts. Results indicated several conclusions. (1) Accounting and financial planning are top priorities for school business administration. (2) Cash flow analysis, financial reports preparation and reporting, and accounts auditing are the most important components of accounting. (3) Investments, budget control, and budget compilations are the crucial tasks in financial planning. (4) The business administrator's responsibility is either to complete or delegate accounting tasks, but ideally the tasks should be delegated. (5) The business administrator's responsibility for financial planning is to complete rather than delegate this task. (6) The tasks of cash flow analysis, investments, budget control, and budget compilation are completed by business administrators themselves. (7) The tasks of financial reports preparation and accounts auditing are ideally delegated by the business administrator to a subordinate. (Author/JM)